1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector supporting mechanism which engages female and male connectors with each other under a low insertion force by using a rotary lever, and more particularly to a connector supporting mechanism which allows to recognize visibly whether or not any one connector engages securely.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-40256 has disclosed a connector supporting mechanism, which the inventor of the present invention considered. This connector supporting mechanism comprises auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102 provided integrally on a rear face of an auxiliary machine, harness side connectors 103, 104 which are inserted into and coupled with these auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102 and a connector holder 105, which holds the harness side connectors 103, 104. The connector holder 105 is mounted preliminarily on for example, an instrumental panel of a vehicle. This connector holder 105 intends to improve working efficiency for coupling the harness side connectors 103, 104 with the auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102.
The connector holder 105 has flexible holding arms 108, 109, which engage engaging portions 106, 107 provided in upper and lower faces of each of the harness side connectors 103, 104. The connector holder 105 is provided with slide walls for guiding the auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102 and the harness side connectors 103, 104. The auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102 are different from each other in their protruding dimension. Therefore, the harness side connectors 103, 104 held by the connector holder 105 are fit to the auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102 successively with a time interval. Therefore, a necessary insertion force can be smaller as compared to a case of fitting the plural connectors at the same time.
However, the connector supporting mechanism shown in FIG. 1 has no means for recognizing whether or not the flexible engaging arms 108, 109 of the connector holder engages the engaging portions 106, 107 in the harness side connectors 103, 104 securely when the connector holder 105 is mounted on for example, an instrumental panel. For this reason, there is such a problem that disconnection of the harness side connectors 103, 104 from the connector holder 105 cannot be checked easily. Unless the harness side connectors 103, 104 are held in the connector holder 105 securely, such an insertion force (insertion distance) for fitting the auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102 to the harness side connectors 103, 104 cannot be obtained, so that the auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102 and the harness side connectors 103, 104 cannot be electrically connected with each other.
Further, in the related connector supporting mechanism shown in FIG. 1, the insertion force for fitting the auxiliary machine side connectors to the harness side connectors is reduced by differentiating the protruding dimensions to the auxiliary machine side connectors 101, 102. If the number of the harness side connectors increases, the structure of the auxiliary machine side connector becomes multiple steps, so that a maximum protruding length of the auxiliary machine side connector is prolonged. Meanwhile, although it is considered that the insertion force for fitting to the auxiliary machine side connectors is reduced by gathering a number of terminals on the harness side connector and providing the harness side connector with a lever which exerts an action of a lever, a means for recognizing whether or not the harness side connector is held in the instrumental panel securely is necessary in this case also.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector supporting mechanism capable of recognizing whether or not the connectors are fit securely so as to achieve a secure connection.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector supporting mechanism for supporting a connector in which an engagement lever comprised of a pair of lever plates disposed on both sides of a connector main body and a linking portion which links these integrally mounted lever plates is on a connector main body rotatably such that it is kept inserted into a mounting object hole formed in a sheet-like mounting object portion, each of the lever plates including a front contact portion which comes into contact with a front face of the mounting object portion, a front contact arm having elasticity and a rear contact portion which comes into contact with a rear face of the mounting object portion. Further, this lever plate has a hole contact portion which determines the center in the vertical direction of the connector main body such that it makes contact with an inner peripheral face of the mounting object hole with a pressure when the connector is inserted into the mounting object hole, this hole contact portion being provided at a front end of the contact arm.
According to the first aspect, the mounting object portion is nipped by the front contact portion and the rear contact portion formed on each of a pair of the lever plates disposed across the connector main body, so that the connector main body can be installed temporarily in the mounting object hole in the mounting object portion. Further, because the hole contact portions provided on the front ends of the contact arms come into contact with the upper and lower edge portions of the mounting object hole with elasticity, the center in the vertical direction of the connector main body is determined with respect to the mounting object hole. Consequently, the connector can be supported appropriately. Thus, the centering work does not have to be done when installing the connector onto the mounting object portion, thereby improving the installation efficiency.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the front contact portion has a thickness allowing itself to be seen from the front of the mounting object portion and the hole contact portion and the front contact portion are formed with a step.
Therefore, according to the second aspect, because the front contact portion is formed thickly, when the hole contact portion with a step relative to this front contact portion comes into contact with the edge of the mounting object portion, visibility of the front contact portion when viewing the connector from the front of the mounting object portion is improved. Thus, it can be recognized easily that the connector is installed temporarily in the mounting object portion. Further, because the connector is supported securely by the mounting object portion, this connector can be coupled with other connector securely.
Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a distance between the hole contact portions formed on the contact arms of the pair of the lever plates is longer than a vertical dimension of the mounting object hole.
According to the third aspect, as well as the first and second aspects, the hole contact portions comes into contact with the upper and lower edge portions of the mounting object hole. Therefore, the accuracy of centering in the vertical direction of the connector is improved.
Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the front contact arm is inclined such that it leaves the lever plate gradually.
Therefore, according to the fourth aspect, as well as the first to third aspects, the front contact arm is inclined such that it leaves the lever plate gradually. Therefore, by seeing that inclined face, it is possible to recognize that the front contact arm has passed the mounting object hole and expanded again (due to elastic force) so that the hole contact portion comes into contact with the upper and lower edge portions of the mounting object hole, thereby the connector being installed securely temporarily.